Arcadia 1/60 VF-4A ‘Flashback 2012’ Premium Finish & Regular Release

[Chronocidal]

I think the PF YF-19 holds up better than this one, because there are far fewer panel lines for them to shade, and it doesn't look so stark.  I think it also has a lot more markings being added, since the normal VF-4 has always had a pretty good amount of tampo out of the box.

[Anasazi37]

9 hours ago, jenius said:

There are a lot of no-step and little red warnings only on the PF.

From what I can see, all of the extra pre-applied markings on the PF are on the sticker sheet that comes with the regular version. Since there really isn't a sticker placement guide for that version, I think the PF will have to serve a reference for where those extra markings go.

[Anasazi37]

On 2/1/2021 at 12:22 AM, Lolicon said:

I think it would be quicker to list what is on the valk rather than what's missing. Pre-printed markings:

- upper stabilizer skulls/background

- ejection seat warnings

- rescue markings

- air intakes

- UN SPACY on the legs

- pilot name on the canopy frame

- UN Spacy kite on the port wing

- UN Spacy kites behind the cockpit

- beam guns/yellow arrows on both arms

- 101 modex near the cockpit

- UN SPACY on the gunpod

That should be it. If I missed anything, someone else please chime in.

Using @Lolicon's list, the close-up shots of the PF that were posted by @tekering, and some eyeballing of my own, these look to be the parts of the sticker sheet that I have to worry about (on the right):

That's not too bad. I'll fix the KEEP CREAN text and add SDF-01B and SDF-018 for the upper stabilizers

[Slave IV]

7 hours ago, Chronocidal said:

I think the PF YF-19 holds up better than this one, because there are far fewer panel lines for them to shade, and it doesn't look so stark.  I think it also has a lot more markings being added, since the normal VF-4 has always had a pretty good amount of tampo out of the box.

That’s what I was thinking too. Regular and PF both look good and especially compared to the 4G. 
the YF-19 regular is fine to me too but I plan to display with the DX and there is a pretty big difference, especially the Arcadia fighter mode is very plain and I’d probably prefer it in that mode. 

[Lolicon]

24 minutes ago, Anasazi37 said:

Using @Lolicon's list, the close-up shots of the PF that were posted by @tekering, and some eyeballing of my own, these look to be the parts of the sticker sheet that I have to worry about (on the right):

That's not too bad. I'll fix the KEEP CREAN text and add SDF-01B and SDF-018 for the upper stabilizers

That looks about right. As a suggestion, if you include the rescue arrows and ejection seat warnings, that would make it good for the VF-4G too, since they share almost all the same markings. I'm in for several sheets regardless, but just throwing that out there. 

Where the heck does 32 go? They look like slime lights but I've never seen where those are supposed to be on the VF-4.

[Lolicon]

9 hours ago, Slave IV said:

Ok thanks! If anything, you may have inspired me to try panel lining some of my Valks with a mechanical pencil. I probably still won’t but if so, any special lead type/size recommendations? I’m definitely convinced I don’t need the PF VF-4A so there would have to be a pretty incredible deal for me to get it. 
Then I just gotta see how tempting the PF YF-19 is. Probably pass on that too although I kinda like the idea of it displayed with the DX. 

Any 0.3 mm mechanical pencil and lead will do.

https://www.hlj.com/gundam-marker-mechanical-pencil-sharp-0-3mm-gnzgp01

https://www.hlj.com/gundam-marker-mechanical-pencil-sharp-replacement-gnzgp02

Note that even 0.3mm is too fat for my purposes, and I further sharpen the tip by rubbing it on a piece of paper first, and I clean up any excess lead with a moistened Q-tip. Gotta keep those lines as clean and sharp as possible. 

[Slave IV]

1 minute ago, Lolicon said:

Any 0.3 mm mechanical pencil and lead will do.

https://www.hlj.com/gundam-marker-mechanical-pencil-sharp-0-3mm-gnzgp01

https://www.hlj.com/gundam-marker-mechanical-pencil-sharp-replacement-gnzgp02

Note that even 0.3mm is too fat for my purposes, and I further sharpen the tip by rubbing it on a piece of paper first, and I clean up any excess lead with a moistened Q-tip. Gotta keep those lines as clean and sharp as possible. 

Thanks for the tip. 

I have tons of mechanical pencils as I used to collect those when I was in school. Jeez, thinking about it, I probably have at least a few large shipping boxes worth of pens and pencils too. Insanity!

[David Hingtgen]

1 hour ago, Anasazi37 said:

Using @Lolicon's list, the close-up shots of the PF that were posted by @tekering, and some eyeballing of my own, these look to be the parts of the sticker sheet that I have to worry about (on the right):

That's not too bad. I'll fix the KEEP CREAN text and add SDF-01B and SDF-018 for the upper stabilizers

"KEEP CLEAN" is possible but rare, "KEEP CLEAR" is much more common. Depends on how far off you believe it is from the original...

[Dobber]

2 hours ago, Slave IV said:

That’s what I was thinking too. Regular and PF both look good and especially compared to the 4G. 
the YF-19 regular is fine to me too but I plan to display with the DX and there is a pretty big difference, especially the Arcadia fighter mode is very plain and I’d probably prefer it in that mode. 

Agreed, me too

Chris

[Dobber]

@Anasazi37 I am an experienced model builder but am curious how you apply your decals to these toys. Are they water slide? Do they need a gloss coat to be applied to the surface first like is done in modeling? Just want to know what the process is for these. Thanks.

Chris

[Ryoma]

44 minutes ago, Dobber said:

@Anasazi37 I am an experienced model builder but am curious how you apply your decals to these toys. Are they water slide? Do they need a gloss coat to be applied to the surface first like is done in modeling? Just want to know what the process is for these. Thanks.

Chris

It's actually not that different from applying decals to any Gunpla. I never used any top coat first, just some mark softer and setter(maybe a bit more than the usual). I think you can apply some transparent top coat once you are done but i never felt the need for it and seldom had any issuess with decals falling or peeling of.  

[Anasazi37]

57 minutes ago, Dobber said:

@Anasazi37 I am an experienced model builder but am curious how you apply your decals to these toys. Are they water slide? Do they need a gloss coat to be applied to the surface first like is done in modeling? Just want to know what the process is for these. Thanks.

Chris

 

9 minutes ago, Ryoma said:

It's actually not that different from applying decals to any Gunpla. I never used any top coat first, just some mark softer and setter(maybe a bit more than the usual). I think you can apply some transparent top coat once you are done but i never felt the need for it and seldom had any issuess with decals falling or peeling of.  

Yes, they are waterslide. No, you don't need to apply a gloss coat first, but I would highly recommend using a setting solution, doing so carefully so you don't damage the plastic. Mark Setter and Mark Softer are harsher than Micro Set and Micro Sol, so it's good to dilute them a bit first. Otherwise you'll dissolve the decals. You can use them at full strength on most commercial decals, but I use a thinner film so the designs look painted on and conform better to curved surfaces. If you have any spare plastic model kit parts lying around that have a similar finish to these toys, I'd practice on those with some designs you don't plan to use, or even just an unprinted portion of the decal film.

[Saburo]

Shot of the VF-4A (Regular Ver.) in Battroid.  Looking at @Lolicon's great shots of the PF ver, this one looks even more plain...

See what I did there? lol

[Lolicon]

29 minutes ago, Ryoma said:

It's actually not that different from applying decals to any Gunpla. I never used any top coat first, just some mark softer and setter(maybe a bit more than the usual). I think you can apply some transparent top coat once you are done but i never felt the need for it and seldom had any issuess with decals falling or peeling of.  

Yeah, applying decals to toys is no different from models. A lot of toys don't have a glossy finish (thank goodness!) so mark setter and softer are a must if you want them secure and to avoid silvering, which really takes away from the painted-on look you want to achieve. 

 

12 minutes ago, Saburo said:

Shot of the VF-4A (Regular Ver.) in Battroid.  Looking at @Lolicon's great shots of the PF ver, this one looks even more plain...

See what I did there? lol

I see what you did there!  Looking good though! 

[Anasazi37]

4 hours ago, Lolicon said:

That looks about right. As a suggestion, if you include the rescue arrows and ejection seat warnings, that would make it good for the VF-4G too, since they share almost all the same markings. I'm in for several sheets regardless, but just throwing that out there. 

Where the heck does 32 go? They look like slime lights but I've never seen where those are supposed to be on the VF-4.

Okay, I put both of those back in. Not sure about 32. I had the same question.

[Dobber]

Thanks guys, I use micro set and sol so if I understand you it should be safe to use right out of the bottle. Count me in for a set of these as well.

Chris

[Lolicon]

Hikaru and his wingman

[Anasazi37]

Initial drafting complete. Was able to perfectly match all of the fonts except for the ones used on the ejection seat triangles and rescue arrows. Visibly similar substitutes had to be used for those. This was a much-needed diversion for a few hours. The designs are simple compared to some of the more complex commissioned projects I'm chipping away at, as I have time. Next steps are to change the layout a bit, to conserve paper and ink during printing, and do a test print to see how everything looks. The slightly darker yellow used in many places is always a headache, and it won't be a perfect match, but I will do what I can. I'm also not sure how those slime light markings are going to turn out. I also have to add in the SDF-01B and SDF-018 markings, which will require making some measurements on the upper stabilizers.

Edited February 28, 2021 by Anasazi37

[David Hingtgen]

I can't figure out what 32 is either.  They're certainly slime-light-esque in shape and design, but the color is so off, and valks generally don't have them at all.   They're light green when on, and beige-sand when off (NOT bright yellow, like every Hasegawa kit ever would have you believe).   Never dark green.   

[sh9000]

https://www.forbes.com/sites/olliebarder/2021/03/01/vf-4a-lightning-iii-premium-finish-toy-review-a-veritable-flashback-for-macross-fans

[no3Ljm]

On 2/27/2021 at 12:32 PM, Saburo said:

Shot of the VF-4A (Regular Ver.) in Battroid.  Looking at @Lolicon's great shots of the PF ver, this one looks even more plain...

See what I did there? lol

Nice shot!

23 hours ago, Lolicon said:

Hikaru and his wingman

Love it!

22 hours ago, Anasazi37 said:

Initial drafting complete. Was able to perfectly match all of the fonts except for the ones used on the ejection seat triangles and rescue arrows. Visibly similar substitutes had to be used for those. This was a much-needed diversion for a few hours. The designs are simple compared to some of the more complex commissioned projects I'm chipping away at, as I have time. Next steps are to change the layout a bit, to conserve paper and ink during printing, and do a test print to see how everything looks. The slightly darker yellow used in many places is always a headache, and it won't be a perfect match, but I will do what I can. I'm also not sure how those slime light markings are going to turn out. I also have to add in the SDF-01B and SDF-018 markings, which will require making some measurements on the upper stabilizers.

Can't wait.  

 

[Dobber]

Do you think you could include a dark gray skull logo to use on the VF-4G as well? To go with the low-vis theme. 

[Corrinald]

I got my PF VF-4A and honestly I have mixed feelings about it. The panel lining gives it depth but it's relatively sloppy. I would have been happy with a PF figure that had all the tampo but no panel lining, such as the previous releases (other than the VF-0D).

[Lolicon]

20 minutes ago, Corrinald said:

I got my PF VF-4A and honestly I have mixed feelings about it. The panel lining gives it depth but it's relatively sloppy. I would have been happy with a PF figure that had all the tampo but no panel lining, such as the previous releases (other than the VF-0D).

I thinking it's a bit neater than the 0D *BUT* the 0D benefits from the weathering finish so its not nearly as noticeable. 

With that in mind I plan on making my regular edition the clean & shiny one from the anime and I'll add something to the PF so the paneling doesn't look so stark against the white. 

[no3Ljm]

Hey guys. I don't have my VF-4A yet. But can I ask how bright the grey color is compared to Arcadia's VF-0A?

Thanks.

 

[Corrinald]

26 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

I thinking it's a bit neater than the 0D *BUT* the 0D benefits from the weathering finish so its not nearly as noticeable. 

With that in mind I plan on making my regular edition the clean & shiny one from the anime and I'll add something to the PF so the paneling doesn't look so stark against the white. 

I think that's a fair assessment

[Lolicon]

53 minutes ago, no3Ljm said:

Hey guys. I don't have my VF-4A yet. But can I ask how bright the grey color is compared to Arcadia's VF-0A?

Thanks.

 

It's brighter than the VF-0A. It's that slightly greyish "mecha white" you find on a lot of gunpla kits. Not pure white.

[no3Ljm]

23 minutes ago, Lolicon said:

It's brighter than the VF-0A. It's that slightly greyish "mecha white" you find on a lot of gunpla kits. Not pure white.

Gotcha. When you said gunpla mecha white, the first thing I think of is Gundam MKII. If it is in that same grey tone then it's all good. 

Thanks @Lolicon!  

 

[no3Ljm]

@jenius review on VF-4A regular release is up.

 

[Chronocidal]

HLJ is showing the PF version back in stock, so worth a shot if you missed before.  

https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-kanzen-henkei-vf-4a-lightning-iii-hikaru-ichijyo-use-premium-finish-aca82155

 

[Lolicon]

1 hour ago, Chronocidal said:

HLJ is showing the PF version back in stock, so worth a shot if you missed before.  

https://www.hlj.com/1-60-scale-kanzen-henkei-vf-4a-lightning-iii-hikaru-ichijyo-use-premium-finish-aca82155

 

Only one left in stock! Better hurry!

[Kanedas Bike]

On 3/2/2021 at 4:25 PM, Lolicon said:

Only one left in stock! Better hurry!

Still in stock 

-b.

[Shawn]

Until @jenius gets his premium review online (hint hint), this can hold me over.

Make sure to enabled Closed Captioning, and then choose Translate to English. Such an awesome looking version.

 

[jenius]

I'm too cheap! I had to ship it by boat

[Anasazi37]

Added the SDF-018 and SDF-01B markings to the sheet. I measured the open area under the black portion of the upper stabilizer and it's roughly 25mm x 5mm, and based on the line art, the text should be about half the height of the open area, so the markings are roughly 12mm x 2.5mm. I went with the font used for the existing MEGAROAD-01 markings, for consistency.